ABOUT US Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung East Asia Office Who We Are EPONYM Heinrich Böll CONTACT Office Location Böll News Korean Masculinity Must Move From Endless Proof to Shared Care Analysis South Korean men, trapped in the rigid ‘K-timeline’ from school to military to marriage, face endless pressure to prove their masculinity, fueling resentment toward women and radicalization. A transformation is needed, with care at its core. Taehwan Kim [Author Interview] Revisiting the Square Through the Eyes of Youth: "After the Square" On December 3, 2024, President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law dealt a profound shock to South Korean democracy. Yet in that moment of crisis, the square came alive once again—and at its center stood the youth. The lights, the flags, and the questions that followed have now been captured in a book. After the Square tells the story of young people who organized themselves to call for President Yoon’s resignation, created spaces for public dialogue, and put democratic values into action. Philip Kim Situational Analysis: Gender, Sexuality, and Human Rights in South Korea (2025) South Korea has seen has a notable progress in gender and human rights over the past two decades. Yet, in recent years, political polarization, anti-gender backlash, and stalled legislative efforts have complicated the landscape, leading to a fragmented and contested approach to equality and inclusion. Philip Kim Rainbow Fields: Korean Farmers Reviving Native Rice Background For thousands of years, rice has been more than food. It has been culture, memory, and survival. In South Korea, a few farmers are bringing back native rice varieties lost to history. Their rainbow-colored fields tell a story of a future rooted in the past. KIM Dong-gyu Democratic Resilience in the Asia-Pacific: The Role of Parliamentarians The Heinrich Böll Foundation East Asia Office and the Indo-Pacific Democracy Forum (IPDF) co-hosted a session at the 2025 KDF Global Forum titled “Parliamentarians’ Voices for Democratic Unity in the Indo-Pacific.” Ha Eun Yoon Light Screens, Heavy Planet: From Interface to Carbon Let’s peel away the assumption we have long taken for granted—that “digital = eco-friendly.” We will trace the three layers that sustain the digital society: action (interfaces), infrastructure (data centers, energy generation, cooling water), and networks (terrestrial and submarine cables). Beneath these, we will examine the materiality of devices, the corporate power embedded in design, the profit structures of the data economy, and the points where institutions begin to collapse. Finally, we will reflect on the small but resilient practices and institutional shifts we can choose to pursue. Hyejin Yoo See All Latest Articles Böll Events Currently, no events are scheduled, but stay tuned for updates! Our Topics Digital Policy Ecology Democracy Foreign Policy Publications Publications in Korean Read more
ABOUT US Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung East Asia Office Who We Are EPONYM Heinrich Böll CONTACT Office Location
ABOUT US Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung East Asia Office Who We Are EPONYM Heinrich Böll CONTACT Office Location
Korean Masculinity Must Move From Endless Proof to Shared Care Analysis South Korean men, trapped in the rigid ‘K-timeline’ from school to military to marriage, face endless pressure to prove their masculinity, fueling resentment toward women and radicalization. A transformation is needed, with care at its core. Taehwan Kim
[Author Interview] Revisiting the Square Through the Eyes of Youth: "After the Square" On December 3, 2024, President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law dealt a profound shock to South Korean democracy. Yet in that moment of crisis, the square came alive once again—and at its center stood the youth. The lights, the flags, and the questions that followed have now been captured in a book. After the Square tells the story of young people who organized themselves to call for President Yoon’s resignation, created spaces for public dialogue, and put democratic values into action. Philip Kim
Situational Analysis: Gender, Sexuality, and Human Rights in South Korea (2025) South Korea has seen has a notable progress in gender and human rights over the past two decades. Yet, in recent years, political polarization, anti-gender backlash, and stalled legislative efforts have complicated the landscape, leading to a fragmented and contested approach to equality and inclusion. Philip Kim
Rainbow Fields: Korean Farmers Reviving Native Rice Background For thousands of years, rice has been more than food. It has been culture, memory, and survival. In South Korea, a few farmers are bringing back native rice varieties lost to history. Their rainbow-colored fields tell a story of a future rooted in the past. KIM Dong-gyu
Democratic Resilience in the Asia-Pacific: The Role of Parliamentarians The Heinrich Böll Foundation East Asia Office and the Indo-Pacific Democracy Forum (IPDF) co-hosted a session at the 2025 KDF Global Forum titled “Parliamentarians’ Voices for Democratic Unity in the Indo-Pacific.” Ha Eun Yoon
Light Screens, Heavy Planet: From Interface to Carbon Let’s peel away the assumption we have long taken for granted—that “digital = eco-friendly.” We will trace the three layers that sustain the digital society: action (interfaces), infrastructure (data centers, energy generation, cooling water), and networks (terrestrial and submarine cables). Beneath these, we will examine the materiality of devices, the corporate power embedded in design, the profit structures of the data economy, and the points where institutions begin to collapse. Finally, we will reflect on the small but resilient practices and institutional shifts we can choose to pursue. Hyejin Yoo